Leaked: is this the Next Mazda3?

We're months away from even having our first peek at the next-gen Mazda3, but images leaked today could give us an indication of what we might expect for the new sedan and hatchback models. While Mazda's North American arm didn't give comment confirming the images from UK's Auto Express, the European office reportedly told the outlet the images signal how Mazda's Kodo design language translates to other models. A quick look and several things are apparent:

The next Mazda3 is said to employ design elements of the new 2013 Mazda CX-5, and yet to reach the U.S. 2014 Mazda6. The car in the images sports a grille similar to that on the Mazda CX-5, and the swoopy curves are akin to character lines we've seen from the Japanese automaker. The headlights appear to have an LED treatment, like the first one applied on the 2014 Mazda6. But a couple features appear more concept than production model--the headlights and mirrors are small and sleek, not unlike the Mazda Takeri Concept. And while the production 2014 Mazda6 shares the core design elements of the Takeri concept, the larger headlights and more pronounced mirrors were immediately noticeable on the production car. This could be the case here, as these images could be a conceptual version of the next-gen Mazda3.The next Mazda3 will employ the full suite of Skyactiv technology, and if the development of the CX-5 and Mazda6 taught us anything, it should be a fair deal lighter too. The next Mazda3 is expected to debut around summer 2013.Source: Auto Express (Images courtesy of Auto Express)

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